Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 18, paragraph 44 of the National Shipbuilding Strategy, whether he expects that prime contractors will bear the cost of any programme cost overruns in the Type 31e programme following the main gate investment decision.

The detailed commercial arrangements have yet to be agreed but it is the intent to maximise the transfer of risk to the contractor during this programme, and minimise the dependencies that the Ministry of Defence will manage.